It's All So Simple
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: April comes in Luke's life a little sooner. Luke and Lorelai all the way, but it takes place in earlier season. They're still just friends. This story is complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Lucky # 10, but still no money rolling in

**Author's Note**: _This fic was in me for a while. I've read several stories that have Luke becoming an instant father, and the authors did a great job on them. What I did was take the events of season 6 using Luke's same daughter, his same ex and put them in at an earlier time-where he and Lorelai were still friends. It's definitely AU, but some events are the same. It's not a regurgitation of the show. I have to say that. Maybe a few words here and there may be familiar, but I didn't just copy big chunks. I'm not a fan of that at all. I'll just toss a general warning in here saying that it may not be appropriate for younger readers and leave it at that. Love you all._

**It's All So Simple**

The day was going smoothly for Luke. The diner was just under capacity for most of the day, and surprisingly, there were no moments during that time when he found himself ready to explode on a customer, namely Kirk. He was in a mechanical state. If someone needed coffee, he'd quickly walk to retrieve the coffee pot and top off that customer's drink. If a bill was requested, he'd calculate the total, rip off the slip and hand it over before heading off to complete another task. That was how his day had been going. It was almost as if he was on auto-pilot, doing his job without any signs of aggravation.

Nearly forty-five minutes after dinner had begun, the crowd finally thinned out. Three of the nine tables in the diner were occupied, and only one person sat at the counter.

Luke stood behind the counter and took a deep breath. It was the first time that he was not moving or _doing_. He looked down the counter at the older lady who sat drinking a cup of coffee while she worked on a crossword puzzle. He looked at her for a moment, distantly sharing in her obvious serenity. She looked up at him and smiled, and he gave her a courtesy smile before looking away. He grabbed his towel from underneath the counter and began to wipe the counter, moving salt shakers and ketchup bottles as he did so.

Bells resonated suddenly around the diner. Luke looked up briefly, and seeing who it was, he abandoned his towel and instead reached down to grab the large blue mug. He grabbed the coffee pot and sat the mug flat on the countertop before filling it to the brim.

"This is getting too easy, Luke. It's like you've given up on me." Lorelai climbed onto the stool in front of where he had placed the mug.

Luke turned and sat the pot back on the machine. "What do you mean?" He asked.

She took a sip, releasing a sigh of unadulterated appreciation at the liquid bliss. "You don't lecture me anymore on the dangers of coffee. We don't go back and forth anymore. I just come in and you pour. What's that about?" She asked taking another sip.

"How many times do I actually win in the back and forth?" He asked. Lorelai shrugged knowingly. "You want coffee, there's your coffee," he said dully as he resumed his task of wiping the counter.

She set down her mug when nearly half of its content was ingested. "It was nice to know you cared, is all," she stated.

He tossed her a glance. "Okay, starting tomorrow, I'll start back talking just to hear myself talk while you go back to ultimately getting your way by annoying me to no end." He stopped and looked at her.

She smiled. "That's all I'm asking for," she said satisfied.

"You're impossible," he muttered.

"You're an enabler," she said.

"I can always take the rest of this--" He acted like he was about to take her mug, and she leaned back as she brought it from her lips.

"No need to get drastic," she said with furrowed brows. Luke shook his head and started placing all the counter's condiments back in the original location.

"Okay, then. I just won't let you have any more."

"Alright, Mr. Bumble, you win. Forget I said anything."

Luke stepped back and sighed, admiring his strategic placement of all the items. "_Oliver Twist_, right?" He asked looking at her.

Her eyes widened. "I'm impressed."

He almost smiled. Almost. "Don't be. I still have millions of outdated references to review before being able to follow you in any conversation."

"You do alright."

"Yeah," he said doubtfully. "I bet I do."

She smiled.

"Food?"

"Sure," she replied.

"What can I get ya?"

"Burger and curly fries."

Luke wrote her order on the pad and peered at her over the top of it. "That stuff'll kill ya," he said on cue.

She smiled wide. "But, boy oh boy, what a way to go."

He shook his head before heading into the kitchen.

The bells above the door sounded again, announcing another presence in the diner.

Lorelai turned around and saw a young girl standing just inside the door, looking around the diner. The contraption she had on her head had Lorelai rearing back slightly in confusion as she continued to look at her.

After a few more seconds of browsing, the girl came to stand in front of the counter two stools from the one Lorelai occupied. "Hi," Lorelai said sweetly, causing the girl to take notice of her.

"Oh, hi," she answered back.

Lorelai smiled. "I like your head gear there," she said pointing briefly to it.

She removed it. "Yeah, it's just something I put together. The ones in the bike aisle offer no real protection. Unless, of course you ride and fall on a rubber pallet," she said knowingly.

Lorelai nodded hugely. "I know what you mean. Definitely not for the serious bike riders. I like the way you think. Plus, if you ever find yourself in an impromptu game of football, you'll be all set," she said shrugging.

"That'd be weird," she said with a confused expression.

"Weird, yes, but while everyone else, me included, is running and ducking from the pigskin, you'll be the envy of everyone, my friend."

"You're weird," she said smiling.

"And you're my inspiration," Lorelai said winking.

"Everyone else just thinks I'm some kind of a freak."

Lorelai waved away her comment. "What do they know? They're too busy getting hit in the head with footballs."

The girl laughed. She turned back toward the counter. "You know, usually I don't talk to strangers because they may try to kidnap me, tie me up, and possibly put me in a some type of enlarged cage..." Lorelai's eyes widened at the girl's words, as well as her matter-of-fact tone, "...but you are really easy to converse with. If you're a kidnapper, there are a lot of kids out there that don't stand a chance."

"Um, thank you?" Lorelai said with amusement. The little girl only laughed again. "Don't worry, I'm completely harmless. I have a daughter myself, and I warned her about the dangers of talking to strangers too, although, I tried to leave out, uh, cage details."

"Most parents do. That's what television's for. I call it the tel-it-like-is-vision."

Lorelai chuckled. The girl definitely had an addictive personality. "Well, Stars Hollow is the exception. Trust me. Everybody knows everybody."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's what my mom said."

Lorelai looked out the diner's glass door at the girl's bike. "Are you new in town?" She asked.

"No, just visiting," she said looking straight ahead. Lorelai followed her gaze and saw her looking at Luke through the square opening in the wall. He was too busy on the grill to notice.

"You're alone?" Lorelai asked, concerned.

She turned and looked at Lorelai. "Oh, don't worry. I'm only here for a minute. And, I have..." She looked down at her watch, "...exactly one hour and three minutes before the sun sets making it harder for over-worked drivers to see me on their way home from work, and I have one hour and thirty four minutes before traffic slows making it more difficult for anyone to see or hear my cries for help if the situation arises," she said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Again, Lorelai's eyes widened. "You're very thorough," she said, silently worrying about the girl's true safety.

"Thank you."

At that moment, Luke came from the back. "Two more minutes on your fries," he said already looking around for something to busy himself with. He spotted the little girl. "Where's your parents?" He asked looking at her sideways.

"Well, my mom's in Woodbridge, and my father...well, that has yet to be determined," she said.

Luke frowned. "Do you have change?" He asked.

The girl looked briefly to Lorelai before turning back to him. "Excuse me?" She asked.

Luke sighed exhaustedly. "Are you planning on buying something and then paying for it with a handful of change that you've saved up from your piggy bank?"

"Uh, no. I have a bank account. Do you own a piggy bank?" She asked confusedly.

"No, I don't own a pi--." He sighed. "Do you want to order something?"

"No thanks. I've eaten."

Luke looked at her for a moment. Tried not to get annoyed. "Then, why are you here?" He asked. Lorelai looked at her too, awaiting her answer.

"Follicles," she said casually.

Luke looked relieved. Progress. "Oh, well, we don't sell popsicles," he replied.

Lorelai looked at the girl strangely. "She didn't say popsicles, Luke."

"Yeah, I said follicles," she said more clearly.

Luke's face scrunched up. "What is that?"

She waved Luke over, and he threw a glance at Lorelai who was looking as confused as he was. He released a huge breath before trudging nearer to her. He stopped short of the counter, standing about one and a half feet from her. She climbed on the stool and reached over, quickly yanking a piece of hair from his head.

"Ow! What the...?!" Luke exclaimed grabbing the side of his head.

She studied the piece of hair in her hand before taking out a plastic baggie. "This is a perfect sample. I pulled it just right."

Luke's forehead crinkled in anger, and he looked at Lorelai like she would know what was going on. She took her cue from him. 'Uh, Sweetie...what-what was that for?"

"I probably should have explained myself a little better, huh?"

"Better? You didn't explain anything! Why'd you pull my hair?"

"I'm sorry about that. I have a science project coming up at my middle school, Martin Van Buren next Thursday. Long story short, one kid always wins it. I hate him, and I refuse to let him take another victory. My plans for this year's fair involve my uncle, who's an accomplished lab tech, hair samples from three exes of one Anna Nardini, and one positive DNA test." She held up the baggie. "Title: _'Who's my daddy_?" She said brightly.

Luke and Lorelai both stared at her, mouths open, words lost.

She continued. "Okay, sorry about the hair pulling," she said putting her helmet back on. "I have to go now. Math isn't always precise, so I'm going to get a jump start on those sleepless workers." She flashed a smile and was out of the door before either could utter a word.

A full minute passed before Lorelai was able to look away from the spot that she'd been looking at since the girl's departure. She looked at Luke, and he slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers.

Her lips moved as she tried to find something supportive to say. "At least she's not using it for voodoo," she said shrugging.

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's All So Simple Part II**

Anna Nardini.

Rachel.

Two women from Luke's past. Lorelai assumed that if she remained a faithful customer of his long enough, she would eventually come face to face with Luke's entire personal past. She was sure that it would be a short list because he _hardly_ seemed the promiscuous type.

One week ago, Luke had been given, possibly, the biggest news of his life. The day was Friday, and nervous energy flooded Lorelai's body. She felt as if _she_ was waiting on life-altering news when in actuality it was Luke. Was Luke a father? Did the DNA results point to him? He had been tight-lipped the whole week. She hadn't pushed him to say or reveal anything, and the thought hadn't even crossed her mind to do so. This was just not a situation where her usual verbosity would be appropriate. She assumed he needed time to think and process, and that's what she gave him.

According to the little girl's spiel, the fair would have taken place yesterday, and Lorelai knew with every fiber of her being that Luke would not just forget the whole thing, hoping and praying that the girl would not be back with revealing news. He would want to know. He would want to do the right thing. That's who he was.

She had been unable to stop by the diner Thursday, and she thought it best to give him that. That time to himself.

She came in Friday morning, and it seemed like the entire town was accounted for, everyone trying to get their fill of Luke's breakfast before they headed off to begin their day. Everyone was there except for the one person she was looking for. Upon questioning Caesar, she found out that Luke had stepped out early that morning to go 'run a few errands'. That's what he had said anyway.

She released a sigh and glanced down at her watch. She had to get to work. She'd hoped that she would catch him early because her day's schedule would allow her no free time until dinnertime. But with no other choice, she left the diner. Coffeeless.

A quarter til nine, Lorelai walked up to the diner's door to discover a sign: 'Gone Fishing'. She stopped and stared at it as if it would reveal Luke's true whereabouts. She knew he wasn't fishing. Not four yards away, his truck sat parked, windows misted over.

She stepped back and looked around her. The streets were empty. Stars Hollow's bedtime had been reached a half hour ago.

Lorelai tightened her jacket around herself before beginning a slow stroll across the street. She wondered if Luke was okay. The only time that sign got thrown in the window, she knew though, was when he was not. She pictured him sitting in his apartment alone with all of the lights out as he drowned himself in his own thoughts. Suffocating himself. Refusing to confide.

The thought made her sad. She continued to walk, finding the steady movement allowed for a better flow of her thoughts.

After several minutes, she found herself near the lake. The air got a little cooler as the wind slowly sifted over the water. She looked downward, watching her feet as she walked, but her mind on an array of other things. A distant splash could be heard, and Lorelai thought it to be a bird taking a late night dip. Still, she looked up and stopped short of stepping on the wooden dock.

Luke was there. He was sitting on the side of the dock with his legs hanging over the edge as he threw small pebbles across the lake.

Lorelai watched him for a moment, wondering if she should turn around and leave quietly. She hadn't been spotted yet, and he had obviously come to be alone. She took a small step back, snapping a twig in half with her heel. Luke looked up in her direction. He saw her, but he said nothing. Instead, he picked up another pebble and skimmed it across the water.

She paused, making the choice to join him. She walked over and slowly sat down a few inches away from him, crossing her ankles as she looked down at the water. Luke picked up another pebble and, this time, just threw it far across the lake, it landing somewhere near the bank. He released a heavy breath and dropped his head.

Lorelai stole a glance at him, struggling for words. She returned her attention back to the lake.

"Her name is April," he said quietly.

Lorelai looked at him.

"Her name is April. And, she's mine." He paused. "I have a daughter named April."

Lorelai's eyes fell to his hands in his lap as he played with his fingers.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "She's ten years old. A _smart_ ten," he added.

Lorelai had no idea what to say, but Luke didn't seem to be requesting words, so she continued to listen. His smile faded away and was replaced with an unreadable expression. "Her mom and I...were together for a few years, uh, ten years ago." He paused, and Lorelai could see his face tighten in anger. When he spoke, though, his voice wasn't harsh. Pained. But not harsh. "For _ten years_, I had...a daughter. _Ten years_," he repeated.

Lorelai felt as if it was time for her to say something. "Luke..." She said sympathetically. And that was all she could say.

"I went to see her today. Anna." Another pause. "I don't know what I was expecting...maybe some kind of an explanation. _Maybe_." He looked at her. "You want to know what she said?" He asked. Lorelai just looked at him. "She told me that I was never cut out to be a dad. That it was best that April didn't know me."

"What?" Lorelai asked, finding anger at the words.

Luke nodded. Looked out at the lake. "How could she..." His voice faded away and he breathed heavily. "I know I can be...but this is my kid." He shook his head over and over. "She stole ten years of me getting to know my kid. My daughter. That's not fair," he said tightly. "She never gave me a chance."

Who the hell did this woman think she was? How was it that she'd spent years in a relationship with Luke and still have the belief that he would be anything short of an amazing father to his child? Lorelai fought back tears. She tried to remain supportive without being imposing. "You know now, Luke," she said softly. "You can get to know her."

He looked at her, pain evident in his eyes. The moonlight gave her a perfect view. She could barely stand the sight. "It's not that simple," he told her. "Anna doesn't want me involved. They're already a family."

"And you're her father," Lorelai said with contained anger. How was it possible to hate someone you'd never met?

Luke's lips tightened and his nose flared. "How can she do this?" He asked no one. "I deserve a chance," he said shaking his head again. "I deserve a chance to be a dad to my child." His voice cracked on the last word. "She can't just make that decision on her own. She's my kid, too," he said.

Lorelai closed her eyes as she felt a wave of emotion come over her. Luke didn't deserve to treated that way. It wasn't fair.

She moved closer to him and placed one hand on his back. He continued to look down.

Time passed and the night progressed with them sitting in that same position. Midnight came and went, and Lorelai had begun to drift off. She fought it for as long as she could before her body gave in to the feeling. She leaned against Luke and closed her eyes. He waited a while. Waited for her to give completely into unconsciousness before he scooted over, taking her and gently laying her head on his thigh. He took off his coat, placed it over as much of her body as the width allowed, then with a soft exhale returned his attention to the lake.

When Lorelai would start to shudder, he'd rub a hand along her arm until she stopped. Save for that, he remained immobile. Focused. The lake held his attention. It wasn't until he looked up and was able to see birds in the thick trees hopping from branch to branch that he realized that morning had come. He looked at the bird's activity for a long moment. Lorelai stirred, moaned. He was too focused to give her immediate attention, but eventually he did. She looked around her, up at him. She sat up slowly.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"It's late," he said quietly. "Early," he added as an afterthought. "You should get home."

Lorelai ran a hand along her face, her dreary eyes looking at him. He was somewhere else entirely. "What about you?" She asked.

He looked back at her. Only with his eyes. Nothing else backed it. "I'll be fine. Just get home." He turned attention back to the lake. Maybe that was where his thoughts were, wading through the murky waters in an attempt to find some calm before returning to the confines of his mind.

He hadn't rested. Lorelai could tell. The same look that was present in the moonlight was evident by the morning sun. He didn't even look as if he had blinked.

Lorelai looked out across the water. There was definitely an appeal to be had. It was beautiful. Forgiving. Mystical. The morning fog hung like a thick curtain over the farther regions, almost as if trying to conceal some of its mysteries. Her attention remained there. Even as she began to speak.

"You must be exhausted," she said.

"I'll be fine," he replied again.

There was a thoughtful pause.

"I don't_ have _to go to work. They could do without me for a day. I can stay." She looked at him. "We can talk."

His jaw clenched, his eyes remained where his thoughts dog-paddled. "Talking isn't going to change anything." Lorelai released a quiet sigh. "Go," he said looking at her. "Don't let me drag you in this hole with me, Lorelai. I'm gonna be fine."

"Luke," she nearly whispered.

"Thank you for staying." She looked at him sorrowfully. "Thank you," he said giving her folded knee a light pat. Not that he didn't mean everything that he said, but Lorelai knew it was his polite way of asking her to walk away.

Leave him be.

She looked downward, contemplating the situation. Looking up briefly at Luke's profile, she knew that she should go ahead and go. For now. It wasn't really_ her _situation to contemplate. She could tame herself to an extent. For now. She knew that she wouldn't be able to sit by idly for too much longer and watch Luke continue to hurt. She wouldn't be able to. Consequences be damned.

She stood up even slower than she had sat down the night before. Before, she was giving Luke a chance to tell her he didn't want company. Now, she was hoping Luke would realize that he could use some.

She made it to her feet without a word spoken. She looked down at him. "I'll see you later, Luke,'' she said. He nodded, still captivated by the water. She took one more look at the water before turning and walking away. For now.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Each second that ticked by, each minute that passed, and each hour that was formed and forgotten had Lorelai's mind on Luke. He was in the diner working. She knew this because she had called, and he had answered, the sounds of customers' talking filling the background. She said 'hey'. He said 'hey'. When asked the reason for her call, she mumbled something about 'pans' and 'dijurkling' and 'schlamozing' before hanging up--all of this hiding the fact that she had had no purpose for calling, other than wanting to know what he was up to, how he was. And of course, she knew he didn't want to discuss that.

Given her day's preoccupation with him, her after-work stop at Luke's apartment was very nearly inevitable.

"You closed the diner," she said as she walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her.

He sat down on his couch. "Kirk wouldn't leave. I didn't feel like dealing with him, so I kicked him out. Guess I got a little carried away."

Lorelai smiled. "You kicked everyone out," she said as if finishing his thought. He nodded. "It's okay," she said softly. "Lots of diners close at six."

He crossed his arms as he looked at the television. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Lorelai walked over, looking over at the tv as it came into view. It was off. She cleared her throat softly before sitting on the other end of his couch. "There's a _Godfather_ marathon coming on tonight." She looked at his wall clock. "Actually a half hour ago," she corrected. She looked at him as he stared at the black screen. "I thought it would be nice to watch it with a friend," she added.

"Is that where I come in?" He asked in a monotone voice.

"If you don't mind," she said shyly.

He released a large breath, looking over at her. He used his head to motion from her to the television quickly. She smiled wide and hopped up, grabbing the remote off the top of the tv.

"Luke?"

His eyes moved on her as she walked back over to the couch. She continued.

"What's the point of having a remote if you're going to have it sitting on the tv?" He released a curt nasal breath that suggested amusement, but he said nothing. "The way I see it, the tv and the remote are enemies, you know similar buttons and all..." She flipped on the tv and started to change channels. "...and while I try to stay neutral because I depend on both to get me through my inert, lazy days, I always keep the remote close to my hand which is sometimes close to my heart. The tv probably doesn't like that too much, but so far, it has remained good to me. Either way, I try to keep the two apart. Don't want to start a battle. Electricity vs. Battery power. I just do my part."

She looked over at him, and he looked at the screen.

She tossed a glance at the tv. She had found the correct station, and the movie lit up the already bright room. She grabbed the bag that she had brought with her and pulled out a couple of bags of popcorn and two cases of beer. "You want?" She asked. He looked at her and then the popcorn, narrowing his eyes a bit. "No butter, no salt. It's harmless," she said reading his mind.

"No thanks," he said, turning his attention away.

"Alcohol, then?"

He still looked at the television as he shook his head. "I'm good," he said quietly.

Lorelai twisted her mouth as she thoughtfully nibbled on the inside of her cheek. It had gone so much more differently in her head.

She sat back and crossed her arms and her legs simultaneously. "This is a good movie," she commented to him. He nodded. "Great movie, actually. Classic. It's no _Streetcar Named Desire_ but it contends well in its genre."

Again, Luke nodded. It seemed like he was doing nothing more than being polite to her ramblings. At least to her it seemed that way. "Feel free to tell me to shut-up, 'kay?" She said looking over to him. A corner of his mouth turned up, but fell just as quickly. "Okay," Lorelai said as if answering her own suggestion.

The first _Godfather _played and ended, as did the second. When the initial credits for the third of the trilogy showed on the screen, Lorelai glanced over to Luke. He had been quiet the entire time, barely moving at all, if _at_ all. She had tried to keep the talking down to a minimum, but almost seemed to be a victim of her own tongue during Part I of the movie. Part II was more controlled. Silent. But every so often she'd chide in with a comment. During both of those, Luke would look her way occassionally, but he wouldn't toss in his usual cynical remarks. He'd just turn back toward the tv and resume watching, though Lorelai figured he wasn't really watching.

When she glanced over at him, his eyes were closed, and he took slow, light breaths. He had fallen asleep. His arms still lay crossed over his chest, and his head faced Lorelai on the sofa. She settled her eyes on his face. He looked relaxed and peaceful. It seemed he wasn't being haunted with events that plagued him during waking hours.

The movie started to play, but Lorelai continued to look at Luke's features.

His nose, flaring occassionally as he slumbered.

His lips, parted only slightly as breaths slipped through.

His eyelashes, long and perfect. She watched him for the longest moment.

Soon, his forehead crinkled, his eyes squeezed shut tighter for a second, his breath hitched. Lorelai's eyes scanned his face, wondering if she should wake him up. It was obvious that his unconscious mind had found an unflattering place. Her mouth opened, ready to call his name, but just as quickly as the jolt happened, it disappeared. He went back to his seemingly peaceful state.

Lorelai settled back onto the couch. She looked at the television, releasing a breath. She got caught up in the plot for a minute, but it wasn't enough to steal her attention away from Luke. It hadn't been all night. The talking, the rambling, the snacks, the suggestion for the movies had all been for him. The 'for now' becoming a thing of the past. She turned back to him, the back of her head never leaving the sofa back.

She closed her eyes briefly and swallowed. Sitting up and turning to him, she lifted her thumb to his face.

There was wetness on his cheek. A tear. His eyes remained closed, his breathing even, his face relaxed.

Her hand trembled as she brought her open palm upward. Her thumb swept once across his face. Twice. The wetness disappeared.

She looked at him, still seemingly so peaceful. She imagined her eyes to reflect sadness because that was what she was feeling. Sadness. Toward him, toward the child that would never know him, toward the situation as a whole. She wanted to connect with him, him to connect with her, those feelings ready to consume her. Wanted him to know that it would not always be the way it was. He would be happy again. Somehow, he would be happy again.

She brought her hand up again to his face. She used the back of her hand and, again, her thumb to lightly graze his cheek. The wetness was no longer there, but she found herself doing this.

His eyes fluttered and opened, looking instantly to her. They were wide. He moved his eyes down to her hand. She took it back.

Luke's gaze was serious, questioning her about her action. Lorelai's gaze was unbullied, staring hard into his eyes. He clenched his jaw, sitting up from his slouch. "Is the movie still on?" He asked with no emotion.

She paused. Moved closer to him. He looked ahead to the tv. He saw her in his peripherals, but still he threw a momentary glance to her, annoyance in his features. "What did I miss?" He asked tightly.

She leaned toward him. Kissed his cheek. Barely.

"Lorelai." He closed his eyes, tried not to make his voice sound so strained, but it was a failed attempt. He didn't move though.

She kissed his cheek again. Closer to his mouth. With more commitment.

"Don't." He said deeply. He stayed in place.

She scooted closer, kissing him near his nose. Her hand came up and brushed through his hair lightly, her other coming to rest on his thigh.

She felt his body tense even more than it already was.

"We can't," he said. He pulled his head away from her at that statement. She was undeterred.

"Stop," she said softly, coming to sit as close as she could get. She moved her hand sensually around on his scalp as her other hand slid up. Just a bit. "Let me," she whispered.

Not giving him time to respond, she kissed his cheek again, following it with another, then another. She inched her mouth closer to his lips. She moved her head around as she neared that mark. When she got there, she parted her lips, hesitated, her breath raking over the skin of his mouth, grazing that area. She kissed him. She heard him swallow, his protests weak, not even worth...protesting.

She felt him pucker his lips with great hesitancy. She pulled back, kissed him again. His hand moved to rest on her cheek, touched it, pulled back, and did it again, making it his final answer. His defense caved, waved the white flag. Threw the damn thing.

He kissed her hard. Mouths parted. Tongues got acquainted. Quickly as if time was of the essence.

Lorelai's hand moved up. Up. To the the most northern region on his thigh. He was all there.

Luke moaned. He dropped his hands to her breasts and made her do the same.

She got bold. Felt bold as she touched him threw his jogging pants. Definitely all there.

They stood up. Kissed non-stop. Shirt from body one...gone. Blouse from body two...gone. Jeans unzipped, kicked away. Pants stepped out of. Bra, panties...no idea how those got missing.

Lorelai wanted a connection, and they were about to have one. Literally. Though her body seemed to drown in moisture, her mind remained clear. Focused.

Lorelai's head fell back, and she looked toward the heavens when she sat down on him. Luke sat slumped on the couch looking at her body, their connection as she moved. He gripped her hips tightly, marking her skin with temporary splotches.

She bit her lip to keep noises to a minimum. Luke was stoic. Looking at her face, her body. Aiding her in her vertical movement. She took all of him. The connection complete.

He took his right hand, moved it to her clitoris. Still stoic. With his thumb, he stimulated it quickly, making her unable to keep all noises under control.

She came hard. Harder than she had ever remembered. A loud scream bounced off the walls, falling back to her own ears. Its sound would have been embarrassing had she cared at the time. Her breathing was erratic, coming out in awkward spurts.

Luke followed her, unleashing a strained groan as he tightly squeezed his lids shut.

Lorelai wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. She laid her head on his shoulder.

Luke scooted up to some to make her new position more comfortable.

He closed his eyes, feeling content for the first time in what seemed like forever. He allowed himself to enjoy it because he knew that soon the pain and hurt would overshadow the new feeling.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai woke up, and the room was quiet. The sun was out, and it shined mercilessly into the apartment. She took in her surroundings. She was on Luke's bed, and she hadn't been. She had been on the couch. Luke was nowhere to be seen, and she realized that if the sun was out, so was Stars Hollow. Hungry and ready to be served. By Luke at _Luke's_.

She looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it was close to nine in the morning. She had to be at the inn at ten. Noticing a note with her name on it next to the clock, she reached over and picked it up.

_Hey. Stay as long as you like_.

A long empty space lay between his words and where he wrote his name. _Luke_.

She figured that to be the area where his feelings rested. Space to write all of the things that he felt about the night before. Space that remained empty.

She lifted her eyes from the paper and scanned the large open room thoughtfully.

What to do now.

She looked over at the entrance door and imagined herself walking through it, down the steps, and into the diner to face Luke. To face the awkwardness that she was sure would be present. With him anyway. Her mind had been set the previous night, and it remained set as she sat in his bed. Naked.

She had done what she did because she wanted to feel him. Not physically. That's not what initiated her actions. Initially. She wanted him to break down his defenses and let her in. How and when that brought about the passion that she exhibited towards him wasn't exactly clear to her. But she was not regretful, nor was she shaken. She felt like she had accomplished something, and her ultimate wish was that Luke would be the one to benefit.

She stepped out of bed and dressed quickly. She still had to get home and prepare for work.

The diner wasn't as packed as she thought it'd be. Wasn't wall-to-wall. Everyone had seats. Had enough business to tend to to where they didn't notice her as she came down from Luke's apartment at such an early hour.

Luke spotted her instantly in his side-view. Used his eyes to follow her as she walked over to the counter. She looked back to him...looking for something...some kind of a negative reaction that she had already prepared herself for. She just hoped that whatever good feelings he got last night would remain with him long enough to at least get him through the day where April was concerned.

She saw no reaction. She came to stand in front of where he stood at the counter. He continued to look at her. Piercingly and unexpressive. "You leaving?" He asked. The question wasn't dead and devoid of life. It was asked in a simple way, questioning her direction. Very un-Luke.

"Yeah, I have to get to the inn," she answered almost apologetically.

He nodded quickly. "Okay," he said. He still looked at her. So serious.

His eyes matched the color of his hat. Almost dead-on. The hat she had given to him. This was Luke. For the first time since the act, Lorelai consciously thought the phrase, _'I was intimate with Luke'_. In her head, it was followed by a pause,a short _'hmph' _and a return to the land of content. A place where regret was not welcome, not even acknowledged. That line that she had toyed with for so long finally was crossed with great ease.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

"We'll talk?" He asked sounding like he'd already had the decision set.

"And, we'll talk," she agreed with a nod.

She turned to leave, giving him one last look.

"Have a good day," he said suddenly. Still so serious.

She stopped and looked at him.

"You too, Luke," she said meaningfully.

He nodded. Turned away. The diner wasn't going to run itself.

Neither was the inn. Lorelai left.

**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's All So Simple Part III**

A sixth sense had always had to do with ghosts. Didn't it? They'd even made a movie about it. A boy saw ghosts, and therefore, he had a sixth sense. Lorelai knew this, suspected this. Yet when the feeling crept up her spine and raised the soft hairs on her neck, she turned and instantly knew she'd tapped into that additional sense. No ghosts were involved.

She had gone to Woodbridge. A fourth of her day was sacrificed as she found the desire to be overwhelming. She got in her car and drove. Each mile marked off a bigger chunk of her better judgment. And there were a lot of miles.

When she'd gotten there, she searched the phone book. Found Nardini, ran her index finger along the only one listed and saw Anna. The mother of April. She immediately frowned at the name. She hated the name, hated the ink used to form it, automatically hated all names that rested on the same page. She stopped there. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before all of Woodbridge was on her list.

She saw the address. The four numbers, the street name, all listed next to a phone number. She didn't want the phone number. Calling a stranger to talk about personal issues would be strange. Crazy. No, she didn't want the phone number. She, instead, wanted the address. Face-to-face would be much better. It would be less strange. More...um...more...uh...less strange. It would be...er, uh...Pretty Damn Crazy. Probably about ten notches more crazy. Common sense caught up to her, out of breath and mad as hell for being left stranded.

Lorelai set the phonebook down. Took a breath. Realized the level of insane, what she was doing. She had wanted to talk. She wanted to talk woman-to-woman with Anna Nardini. And she had every intention of doing so. Until rationality came thundering down upon her.

She was in a gas station. A brightly lit store that allowed her to use their phone book for her craziness. She had turned away, walked down the aisle with motor oil and other little car treats, heading to the chilled section for a juice. Craziness was parching.

That's when the sixth sense thing happened.

Customers were in the store. Two stood waiting to pay for gas. A couple more looked around for road goodies. Scattered around like fire ants. Personal space was being respected. Lorelai opened the door, grabbed a 'Bug Juice'. She closed it, stood there, wondering if water would be a better choice. She shuddered as she felt an icy chill surround her area. Granted, she was standing in front of a cooled area, so she thought little of it. Her hairs raised, and she placed her hand over her neck and turned.

A woman stood about two feet from her looking at overpriced pain medication. Lorelai turned fully and looked at the woman. Stared, actually. She had never met the lady. Had never seen her. Had no idea who she was. But she knew. Just like that, she knew. Anna Nardini. She had so much faith that her 'gift' was legit that she almost felt like boldly testing it by betting her other five senses fifty bucks.

Instead, she stepped forward. A small step. "Excuse me," she said in a small voice.

The lady looked up. Beautiful. Naturally so. The worst kind. "Yes," she answered, her eyebrows raising. No smile.

"Are you, uh, Nardini? Anna Nardini?" She hadn't meant for it to come out in such a Bond way. Didn't intend to give her that level of cool. That level of respect. The tiniest bit would be too much.

She turned her head, looked carefully at Lorelai. "Do I know you?" She asked.

_'Damn, should have taken that bet' _she thought. A flash of Luke brought her mind back to Anna's question. "No, you know a friend of mine."

Anna's eyes traveled quickly from Lorelai's face to her feet and back again. Like sizing people up was an everyday occurrence for her. Lorelai, so far, had offered no threat. And still, she took her in as if she had.

"Who would that be?" She asked with feigned interest. Didn't even know the woman, and Lorelai could tell this.

"Luke," she said plainly. "Luke Danes." She wished she could rearrange her words and give_ him _the Bond respect. But, it would have been tainted anyway.

Her fake interest faded and showed the true hatefulness beneath. "Can I help you?" She asked coldly.

She had no idea what to say, so she let her heart do the talking. "Why are you doing this?" She asked shaking her head. "Luke doesn't deserve to be treated the way you're treating him."

Anna leaned forward. "And you are?"

Lorelai knew that she wasn't asking for any other reason than to put a name to her forthcoming derision. She knew this, but still offered softly, "Lorelai. He's a close friend of mine."

"Well, _Lorelai_, I don't know what this has to do with you," she said with wide eyes.

Lorelai tried not to match Anna's apparent anger. One, she didn't want to go there with her, and two, they were in a public place. "Look, I'm not trying to over-step my bounds. Really. I just think that--"

"Well, it really doesn't matter what you think, now does it?" Lorelai looked down to the floor. "This is between me and Luke." She waved her hand. "As a matter of a fact, it's just me. This is my daughter," she said pointing to herself, "I didn't ask April to go off looking for a father that was never there--"

"You never gave him a chance to be!" Lorelai exclaimed looking up.

"And what was I supposed to do, huh? Wait for April to be born, then have him treat my kid like she was a nuisance to him?" Lorelai just stood shaking her head. Her face turned a shade of pink as Anna's words hit nearly every trigger button she had. Anna softened, read Lorelai's facial expression. "Luke is a great guy, I know. I can't deny that, but I was not willing to take a chance on him and his feelings about children with _my kid_!" she ended, growing angry again.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. She was becoming so mad. So much so, that she just let Anna have the floor. She didn't trust herself to say anything at the moment.

"It's been ten years," said Anna, "Ten years have passed, and April and I have been doing just fine. Why does he want to ruin that? Why did he send you up here to continue to try to ruin that? April is my child, and no one is about to take her away. I am her mother, her father, her uncle, her playmate. When she gets sick, I'm there. When she gets lonely, I'm there. When she just needs someone to talk to, she talks to me! Me. She is my daughter, and what I told Luke, I meant it. So, go report that back to him."

They stared each other down. The chilled area in the store becoming the most inferno-like. Heads had begun to turn. Anna's outburst had attracted attention. More people she felt should just mind their own business.

"You are unbelievable," Lorelai said evenly.

Anna frowned. "You don't even know m--"

"Oh, I think I do," Lorelai interrupted quickly. "You're a dictator," she punctuated. "You want order and obedience, and anyone trying to challenge you gets this," she said motioning to her. "You stand here and talk to me like I'm some clueless child who's getting in way over her head when you're standing here with your _'it's my party and I'll cry if I want to'_ mindset. I know you know Luke, but I really didn't know how much until I heard you speak. You don't know anything about him. You're here rattling off all the ways you've bonded with your daughter, all the ways you've gotten the opportunity to love her, but in the same breath you coldly admit how you have no shame in keeping her_ father _from knowing her, from loving her. Who's interest do you have in mind? I know it's not April's." She stepped closer. "Children need their fathers. Girls need their fathers. You have a good one for April. You chose a good one, and you obviously don't even know it." She shook her head, threw a look of pure hatred her way. "I have no idea what Luke saw in you," she said truthfully.

With that, she walked away. She walked to the front of the store, dropping her 'Bug Juice' on the counter on her way out. No longer thirsty. Every eye was on her. The world had frozen. She stopped, looked around. Looked upward and caught sight of the security camera, it fixed on Anna's face. Lorelai looked at her. She was no longer beautiful, no longer had that natural beauty. In fact, she was ugly down to the bone. She turned and walked out of the store.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai went home. Straight home. She didn't pass go, and $200 just wasn't much of a bargaining tool to get her to change direction. She felt drained. And suddenly wished she'd snatched one packet of the overly priced pain meds.

Seven knocks had Lorelai sitting up on the couch. She looked at the front door. Seven loud knocks. She knew the number because they echoed in her head once the quiet regained control. Bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. All there and accounted for. She steadied herself as she went to answer the door.

Luke stood on the porch, at the threshhold looking about as pissed as anyone could look.

"I was going to come by in a little bit. To talk." She started to walk back to the living room. "I just need my head to cal--"

"Lorelai, what did you go to Woodbridge for?" His voice was tight. Strained.

She turned back. _'Oh, my head's not going to like this' _she thought. "Okay, Luke, please--"

"No, just," he took a moment to calm his rising anger, "just answer the question, Lorelai."

She paused, tried to think of a way to tell him. One that would not cause one of his head veins to pop. "Shopping?" As soon it came out, she wanted to rope it back in. Not a time to be cute. He just looked at her, his breathing heavy. "I went to see Anna," she admitted.

Fury burned in his pupils. That was definitely the last thing he had wanted to hear. "Why?" He asked loudly.

"Because, I wanted to help you," she said shrugging. "I just hated seeing you upset over this, and I thought that if I went and talked to her, she would..." She released a breath.

"She would what?! Call me, telling me how she hoped that I got a good look at April because I will never see her again? Is that what you wanted to happen?"

"Luke, I'm so--I never meant for that to happen. I wanted for her to know that she was being stupid."

He paced across the floor a ways. "You can't try to fix every situation, Lorelai. I was handling this. I was going to handle this."

Lorelai said nothing. What could she say?

"You always do this. You try to inch your way into everyone's business. I'm a grown man. I don't need for you to try to take care of me." He tossed his hands up. "What, am I your project for the week? Things at the inn a little slow?"

Her gaze was on the floor. She looked up. "That's not fair," she whispered.

"No, you want to know what's not fair? Not fair is me not being able to see my daughter for ten years because I'm such a bad person! Not fair is having to find out about my daughter, _my child_, at a goddamn middle school science fair. Not fair is not even being able to see her at all now that I know that she exists. Not fair is having to admit to yourself that..." His voice fell. Defeated, "...may--maybe your child is better off without you."

Lorelai took a step toward him. "Luke--"

He held up a hand. Backed up. "No, Lorelai. Don't, okay. Just stop--stop doing this. You don't have to keep doing this." He backed toward the door. "Just let me handle this. You don't have to. _We _don't have to," he said clearly. She stared at him. He looked back to her as he moved backward to the door. "Just leave me alone," he said once he made it to the door. He stopped, held the door open and caught Lorelai's gaze as she stared intensely at him.

He swallowed hard. Blinked. Shut the door tightly. He held the doorknob for a long while. Wanting to go back in. In the end, he was too strong a man to give in. He was able to walk away. Never thought that day would come, him being able to walk away. Not from this house.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Luke came back to the diner right around dinner rush. He was frustrated. Emotional. He found that those two feelings were not relatable in any way. Especially when having to serve customers. He snapped. Had bite in his bite. Not a good day to be around Luke.

Finally, the crowd left. People remained, but not a lot.

Bell jingled. Customer entered. A customer with a homemade football helmet.

Luke was busy trying to clean spilled grinds from the coffee machine, and he just figured it was another person that was about to have a negative effect on his mood. "Maybe if you were a little more gentle, you would have more control over the beans." He stopped the vigorous wiping.

He turned quickly. The girl's voice had already found a nice permanent spot in his brain. "April," he said in shock.

"Hi, Luke," she said happily, taking off her helmet, and claiming a spot on a stool.

He moved over to her. "What are you doing here?" He asked, looking as if at any moment he would start to smile uncontrollably.

"I came to see you," she said like it was an obvious answer.

He smiled, eyes still scanning her. Everything was the same. She hadn't grown any more since he'd last seen her. He hadn't missed anything else.

"Does your mom know you're here?" He asked suddenly. April got quiet. "April," he called trying to catch her eyes. She shook her head. His face fell. "April," he said sadly.

"Well, if she would've known, she wouldn't have let me come. I wanted to see you," she said earnestly.

He was shocked to hear her say that. She had wanted to see him. Wanted to.

"You can't just come--"

"Luke, you're my dad. I should be able to see my dad. Unless you don't want me to--"

"No, of course I want to see you," he cut in. "I want to spend time with you too, but you can't take off without your mom knowing where you are."

"She's being unreasonable," she said dropping her gaze. She looked up. "I can just come here every other day. My mom won't get suspicious because I can just tell her...uh...that I started volunteerting at a hospital or something."

"You're ten," he said with a small smile.

"So?"

"I think you might have to be a little older for that story to fly."

"That was just a suggestion. We can come up with something else. Brainstorm. We can even make those little bubbles that overlap." She could see that Luke wanted to interject. She kept talking. "My circles are always crooked when I do them in school, so you can do it." She reached over and grabbed a salt shaker, "If you use the bottom of this, then it'll be perfectly rounded--"

"April..."

"Although this may be a little small. Do you have something bigger. Like a canister?"

"April," he said softer.

"No," she said looking down. "I've spent ten years without a dad. We can make this work."

"Not like this," he said regretfully. Her mood changed. Her lip poked out. Luke was witnessing his very first parental-directed pout, and his heart melted. He reminded himself that he had to do the right thing. "Let's, uh," he looked outside, "get your bike in my truck, and I'll take you home. It's getting late."

She slid off of the stool, head down. Luke watched her. His daughter. Begrudgingly listening to his requests. A smile appeared on his lips, but it went away soon after when he remembered why it was that he was having to take her home.

The drive was silent. The whole way there, April hadn't felt the urge to be her talkative self. She seemed upset, contemplative. Luke, understanding what it was like to be in a mood, didn't bother trying to push her to talk. He wanted to. He wanted to bombard her with questions about her favorite color, her favorite kind of animal, her friends at school. He wanted to know every detail, no matter how small. But, he had to have faith that one day he would have an opportunity to learn it all.

He pulled in front of her house and noticed that Anna's car wasn't there yet. He got out and helped her get her bike down. "Where's your mom?"

"Work. She'll be here in a while. Usually I go hang out at the shop until she gets off, but I told her I had a school thing."

He got the bike down and looked at her. "How often do you tell her you have 'school things'?" He asked worriedly.

"Never," she said simply. "We have a pretty open relationship." Luke nodded, looked around trying to make sure the area was safe enough for her to be in the house alone.

"See," April said looking up at him. He looked back to her. "You already have the dad thing down. All you need is a daughter." She turned her bike around and rolled it toward the house. "See you during the next school thing," she said over her shoulder.

**TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's All So Simple Part IV**

"Caesar, I'm going up for the night. Please make sure you turn off the coffee pot tonight," Luke said. Caesar verbalized agreement, and Luke disappeared behind the curtain. When he had gotten back to the diner after taking April home, he had been in a slightly better mood. Only slightly. His thoughts alternated between thoughts of spending time with his kid and his argument with Lorelai. The latter keeping his mood from completely changing. He went into his apartment and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. Beer that Lorelai had left.

Downstairs, Caesar sang low to the radio as he waited for the final customer to leave so he could really belt it out. One of the benefits of closing without Luke. When he heard the door open, he frowned and peeked his head out of the back to see who it was.

"Is he upstairs?" Lorelai asked already heading up there quickly. Caesar's answer of 'yes' was said to no one. Lorelai was already going up. He shrugged and hit a full spin, stopping on queue to the beginning of the song.

Lorelai shifted from foot to foot as she stood waiting for Luke to open the door. She had banged. Twice. No need for a count to seven. Two strong bangs with the side of her fist got her point across just fine. She didn't have to wait long at all. The shifting was from her own impatience.

Luke swung the door open. "What the...? What's wrong with you?" He asked her. He looked at his door as if she had hurt it.

She stepped inside. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to come and accuse me and leave."

He still stood holding the door open. "Why did you bang on my door like that?" He asked, unwilling to move from the subject of his fragile door.

She moved around him, grabbed the knob, closed the door forcefully. "Forget the damn door, Luke!" She folded her arms. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you. At my house earlier. Talking nonsense."

"Look, I was upset," he said rubbing his brow. "I don't even know what I said."

She unfolded her arms and walked over to him. "Let me refresh your memory," she said standing in front of him. "You told me how I care about you now because I'm bored. Like I'm flitty."

"I didn't say--"

"Yes, you did," she said. "You _accused_ me of being here with you because I feel sorry for you."

"Lorelai," he started to say.

"No, I don't want to hear it." She started to undo his belt.

He looked down in shock. Her hands moved quickly. "What are you doing?"

"I really do not like being told what I am feeling, Luke." She got his belt loose, pants unbuttoned, unzipped, and she started working on his flannel buttons. She was upset, insistent. "You can get angry with me for going to see Anna. You can get mad at me for talking to her how I did and making it harder for you." She finished with the buttons and snatched the shirt off of his shoulders. She began to work on her own clothes. "But what you will not do is stand in front of me and tell me that what I did, what we did was done out of pity." She stepped out of her jeans. "I don't have any regrets, and you would have known this if you had bothered asking instead of assuming."

"I didn't say any of that. And that's not what I meant," he said tensely.

"Yes. You. Did. That's what I got from it. And, you don't get to make choices for me." She removed her bra and dropped it to the floor. She folded her arms back. Nothing but skin as far as the eye could see.

His eyes scanned her body and she looked into his face. "Lorelai, I--"

"I don't want to talk anymore," she said calmly. Seriously. "I'm ready to show."

"But--" She walked into him, latching her lips instantly on his neck. "Lorelai--"

She lifted her mouth just enough. "Why do you still have clothes on?" Again with the lips.

He still tried to talk. Reason. She grunted, grasped his head and pulled his lips down on hers. Kissed him deep. He didn't bother trying to stop it. She broke away. Had him leaning in for more. She kissed her way to his ear. Bit his lobe. Pulled on it with her teeth. Stepped close like she was about to whisper confidential information. Got close to his ear canal. "Make love to me, Luke."

Bingo.

Luke attacked her neck, started walking her backward toward the bed while he all but tore at the rest of his clothes. Lorelai hit the mattress, scooted to the center, looked at Luke like she could eat him for breakfast. He finished undressing, joined her on the bed.

Lorelai spread her legs, enough to accompany Luke's body.

He dropped two fingers to her center, finding her more than ready. Lubrication would not be an issue.

He resisted the urge to play a little, tease her. They both wanted, needed the penetration. The official kind.

Still, he couldn't help the pit stop at her breasts. Made each nipple stand at attention.

Lorelai reached downward, wanted to touch and feel him. He left her breast area, moved up, allowed her to hold what she was reaching for.

She let him go, grabbed his hips and pulled him in position. She was ready for the main event.

He moved his knees to rest just on the outside of her buttocks. He leaned down, kissed her. Lorelai got carried away in his kiss. When he guided himself in, her breath caught. Wasn't expecting it.

The positioning took a moment to get used to. Just a moment. It smoothed out rather quickly. Picked up speed. Their sounds filling the quiet room.

The headboard hit the wall. Three times in a row it did this. They evened it out, tried to stop the hitting. Thirty seconds later, it'd hit again. Five times. Ten seconds would pass. Six times.

Lorelai reached that moment, that moment when a woman can be asked to do anything sexually and she'd give in. Just as long as the feeling didn't stop. That moment that you hope and pray happens with someone you trust and care for, and who you trust feels the same way about you.

She whispered how she was close. Could feel it coming. Had they always been so intense? She had little time to ponder that. It came. Oh boy, did it come. She groaned, became fluent in tongues.

He pumped hard. The headboard should have gone through the wall. Rode her orgasm. Exerted himself fully before his world became beautiful. Euphoric.

They rested against each other. Both thinking one word, the same word, but too exhausted to say it.

Damn.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The morning was beautiful.

Lorelai lay on her side. Eyes open. Luke lay on his side. Eyes open. They faced each other, stared at each other.

Lorelai inched over. Luke watched her. She smiled and scooted a little more. His lip turned up and he stared into her soul. She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his lips. Luke placed a hand on her back, encouraged her to move even closer. They kissed, pulled back, kissed, pulled back, parted their lips and really kissed. Luke's tongue moved, massaged. Something akin to oral. It was mind-numbing, but Lorelai reciprocated.

A quickened knock at the door broke them of the moment that was leading elsewhere. Without a doubt.

Caesar had opened a half hour ago. Once a month, he'd close, then open. It'd come right before an extended off-time. The diner, however, would be open in another half hour. Of course Luke thought it to be Caesar. He stood up, found his boxers. Lorelai watched him, watched the part of his body that would soon be making a pair of Hanes very happy.

He caught her, shook his head. She smiled. He found his jeans and t-shirt, pulled them on too. "Be right back," he said quickly. Another quickened knock. "Coming," he said impatiently. He pulled the door open. His mouth opened, closed. Why was she there? A possibility sprung up. "What's wrong? Is it April?" Luke asked, growing scared.

Anna's eyes widened, matched his paranoia. "She's not here?" She asked quickly. She'd obviously assumed she was.

She moved past him, looking around the apartment. Luke remembered Lorelai sitting naked in the bed, rushed to stand in front of Anna. "No, she's not here. Is she missing?" He asked worriedly. Anna looked up at him like he was the enemy. Looked at the wall that kept her from seeing the apartment's full length. She moved around him, rounding it in two giant steps.

"If my daughter is here--"

She stopped, coming face to face with Lorelai. Lorelai had known who it was when Luke had inquired about April. She wanted to get dressed, but her clothes lay somewhere near the door. Not feeling the situation was serious enough for her to hop in the closet, she just wrapped the cover tightly around herself in the bed.

Luke came quickly behind Anna. He looked to Lorelai, then to Anna. "Do you think that I would take her and stash her in my apartment?" He asked angrily.

"I don't have time for this," Anna said tossing up her hands. She turned and walked back past Luke.

Luke looked around, panicked. "What the hell is going on? Where's April?" He asked her as she tried to leave the apartment.

"If she comes here, you better call me, Luke. I mean it," Anna said turning and pointing a rigid finger at him.

Luke snapped. "Don't talk to me like I'm a damn child, Anna. She is my daughter too. I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know right now!"

She was scared. Panicked. Luke could tell by the look in her eyes. Her daughter was missing. _Their _daughter was missing, and she had no idea where she was.

"I don't know," she said guardedly. "I woke up this morning, and she was gone."

The world became surreal for him. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"Just what I said, Luke," she said. Her mind was a sea of worries and they came out in the tone of her voice. "I got up early, went to check in on her, and she was gone."

The floorboard creaked, and Luke and Anna's attention turned to Lorelai as she came slowly around the corner. She wore a pair of jogging pants way too big and a flannel shirt. Her arms were folded and her face wore an expression of worry. April was missing. Luke's daughter was missing.

She came to stand beside Luke. He turned back to Anna. They were all in it together.

"And you can't think of any place she might be?" He asked.

Anna reached up, rubbed her hair. Thought. "I checked everywhere. She has three close friends, and none of their parents have seen her. She rides her bike sometimes...through town. I drove through four times. I-I just don't know what to do." She started to cry.

Luke dropped his head. Thought. He looked at her. "It'll be okay. We'll find her," he said. He didn't go console her. Had no desire to touch her in any way. He looked at Lorelai. "You want to get dressed? I'll go talk to Caesar," he said to her. His hand slid down her back as he said this.

"Yeah, sure," she said quickly. "I'll, uh, just be a second."

Luke looked at Anna, motioned toward the door so that Lorelai could feel free to get her clothes and dress. She walked out, and he walked out behind her, shutting the door.

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's All So Simple Part V**

They had been driving for hours. They searched all around Stars Hollow before thoroughly checking the route between the town and Woodbridge. Luke drove, Anna sat in the middle, and Lorelai sat on the end. All in Luke's truck.

They were now in Woodbridge, all of them craning their necks to look outside at everything and everybody in view as Luke drove.

"Luke, she wouldn't be this far uptown. Maybe we should turn back around," Anna said.

"We've already looked downtown. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Check everywhere," he said looking around thoroughly at every area he passed.

Anna released a breath. Growing impatient with her daughter's extended absence.

Luke stopped abruptly. "That," he said putting the truck in park. Lorelai and Anna's eyes grew wide, trying to get a peek at what had grabbed Luke's attention. He had stopped in the middle of road but hardly felt the desire to rectify it. He opened his door and got out, walking briskly over to the sidewalk. Anna slid across the seat and climbed out on his side. Lorelai followed.

"What do you see?" Anna yelled running over.

He reached down and picked up a spoke off the sidewalk. He held it out to Anna. Her hopeful look fell. "What the hell is this?" She asked almost yelling at him.

He took it back, looked at it. "It's April's," he said.

"It's a _spoke_. That could belong to anybody. How did you even notice this?" She asked.

He paid her attitude very little attention. "It belongs to April. Hers was loose on her bike, and it had a little," he pointed at it, "black mark right here."

Anna looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Let me guess, you've developed super-human seeing powers and was able to see that little _nothing_ from a moving vehicle."

"No," he said gritting his teeth, "I saw the reflect--look that isn't the point," he said suddenly. "I'm going to go look around here. You can drive the truck and keep looking somewhere else if you like." Anna turned and walked quickly back toward the truck while mumbling to herself. Lorelai watched her go. She turned back to Luke. "Alright, she may still be around here. You want to go with me?" He asked her quickly. She turned and looked at Anna, rolled her eyes. Turned back to Luke.

"I think I'm going to go with her. Try to spread out," she said convincingly.

Luke was too anxious at the possible clue to find fault with it. "Okay. Um, I'll catch up to you guys later, then," he said before taking off.

Lorelai watched him jog off, nervous, motivated. She turned and headed toward the truck quickly. She didn't doubt that Anna would take off and leave her. Call it a mistake.

She got in the truck and settled into her seat. Anna pulled off, sighed. Lorelai waited for her to speak. She had stuff to say, but she wanted her to speak first.

"I see Luke is still Luke," Anna said simply.

"And I'm sure you and I have different views of what that is."

"I'm sure we do," she said in a disinterested voice.

Lorelai sighed, looked out the window. A minute passed where she and Anna looked for April.

"I have a daughter," Lorelai said out of nowhere. She was calm. Her voice was calm, confiding. "Her name is Rory, and she's my world," she said looking at Anna. She wanted to see if she was finding a way to ignore her. She wasn't. She twisted her lips, looked out her window, drove, but she was receptive. Lorelai continued. "I raised her by myself because her father...just wasn't there. I wanted him to be. So badly. But he chose not to be." She paused. "He broke her heart so many times...which of course broke my heart. But he was her dad, so I'd always fix it, whatever he did, I'd fix it, make it better so that when that day came...that day that he'd want to step up, there would be no hard feelings. I did that for Rory." She chuckled. "He just recently decided to be a father to her, a couple years ago. I hadn't been able to cover up for him for years by that point. She was almost out of high school." She looked down. "But it didn't matter because Rory was still so happy to be around him. That's all that's ever mattered when it came to him. Rory."

Anna looked over at her. "How old is she, your daughter?" She asked.

"She's eighteen," Lorelai said with a proud smile.

Anna's face flashed shock. Lorelai caught it, laughed. "Condom commercials weren't that common in '84. It was more of a government secret." She looked at her. Answered the question she knew she wanted to know. "I was sixteen."

Anna didn't show judgment. "Must've been hard," she said knowingly.

"It was," she said seriously. "It was very hard."

A silence followed her admission. A somewhat lengthy silence, interrupted only by the truck's engine as Anna drove along.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lorelai asked her.

Anna looked over, tensed. Distrust emanated from her eyes. "Go ahead," she said.

"Why is it that when you refer to April, you always show possession...when speaking to Luke?"

"I don't think I do," Anna said suredly. Almost with bite.

"You never really say her name. It's always, '_my_ daughter'," Lorelai said.

"And...is she not my daughter?"

"Yes," Lorelai answered quickly. She paused. "But, she's Luke's daughter too," she added.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of you imposing in this at every opportunity. I'm sorry that your daughter's father was a deadbeat, and I'm sure you've received many Mom of the Year trophies for your selflessness in trying to keep an open relationship with him and...Rory," she said remembering her name. "But I'm happy with me and April's life together." She paused, and Lorelai remained calm, noticing the emotion Anna felt on the subject. "I don't need Luke or any other guy coming in and ruining that. I'm all my daughter needs," she finished, her voice cracking.

Lorelai started to say something but was interrupted.

"You call me a dictator," she continued, "And I'm sorry if I come off that way, but I am doing the best I can. I'm all she has. I have to hold it together for my kid. I'm not going to allow people, not even her father, to hurt her in any way." She looked at Lorelai. "You talk about how you would do things, cover up things for Rory's sake, well I am the way I am, the good and the bad, for April's sake. If that means getting stopped in convenience stores to get told how awful I am, then so be it. It's a small price to pay."

Lorelai felt bad about the covenience store incident, but not bad enough to take back what she had said. She had meant it then, and she meant it now. Things had calmed down, emotions had subsided since then, but she backed everything that came out of her mouth. So, she focused on the first part of her speech.

"How could you ever think that Luke would hurt April? He would die before he ever did that, before he'd let someone else do that, physically or emotionally."

Anna sighed. Clenched her jaw. She seemed mad. Exposed. Her words, however, contradicted what looked to be true.

"How long have you known him?"

"We've been friends for _years_. He was there for Rory when her dad wasn't. He looked out for her, he tolerated her in ways that I never even thought that he would tolerate anyone, he protected her--he almost beat up Rory's first boyfriend after he thought he'd broken her heart." She shook her head, ready to add to the long list.

Anna actually smiled. "Sounds like him."

"It is," she said quickly. Desperate to hang on to what she thought was a small opening. "He's a great person, Anna. You know this. You _have_ to know this," she said. "And what you're doing, he doesn't deserve it. What's done is done. You can't undo ten years, but what you're doing now...it's killing him."

Anna fell silent, looked at her, tears springing up and getting blinked back. "I just want what's best for April," she said softly.

Lorelai looked at her. "That's funny. Because I am willing to bet you...that Luke does too."

They shared a look. Two mothers. With more in common than either was willing to admit.

Anna broke contact. She stopped the truck, hit a U-ie. "Let's go pick Luke up. Go back downtown. I know April isn't up here." Lorelai sighed. Had they made progress? What was the verdict? Her cell phone rang, breaking her of any thoughts.

The caller was unknown, but she answered anyway. "Hello." She placed a hand over her chest. "Oh thank god," she said relieved. She looked over at Anna. "He found her," she said. "Luke found April."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" She asked shakily. Luke heard her over the phone. Lorelai listened to him then smiled.

"She's fine."

"Oh, thank god!" Anna said, repeating Lorelai's earlier words.

Lorelai held onto the dashboard as Anna's sudden increase in speed jerked the truck forward. She drove quickly to where Luke had been dropped off.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

The truck had barely been pulled to a stop before Anna was climbing out. She rushed over to where April stood talking to Luke. Her bike lay beside her.

"Young lady, you are in such big trouble," she said as she leaned over and embraced her tightly.

"I can tell," April said sarcastically as she hugged her back.

"What were you thinking?" She backed up. "Why would you do something like this?"

Lorelai had come from the truck, smiling at the presence of April. April noticed her, smiled, waved. Lorelai did the same. Anna turned, saw who was receiving April's attention since she obviously wasn't. She dismissed it quickly.

"Do you hear me?" She asked.

April sighed. "Yes, Mom. I hear you," she said dully.

"Well, then, can I get an answer?" She asked. Her voice was different when talking to April. It was pleasant, even in her anger. Lorelai noticed this, admired _that_ about her.

April looked up, everyone had eyes on her. She released an aggravated growl. "I'm sick of this, Mom," she said.

"Of what?"

She looked at Luke. "I have a dad, now. I want to know him, and he wants to know me, too. Right, Luke?"

Luke nodded, rubbed her shoulder, looked at Anna.

April looked back to her mom. "And you're standing in the way of that, and I don't understand why. I mean, he's not a sex offender. I checked." Luke looked at her in shock. Did she really just say that? He looked at Lorelai, and she was looking to the ground, a small smile on her face. She'd already gotten an idea of how the girl's mind worked. Very thorough. April continued.

"He's not any kind of a criminal. I asked around Stars Hollow, polled random people, and each time, people would say the same thing 'gruff, blunt, heart of gold'. I mean, they didn't say 'heart of gold' but the multiple answers could be summed up in that phrase. And, I can't for the life me understand why you won't let me get to know my dad. I mean, am I missing something?"

Anna's eyes took in April's innocent inquiry. She really wanted an answer. An answer that Anna could not give. She was being put on the spot. She owned the spot. She looked to Luke, noticing that he was waiting on an answer to that question too. She avoided the question for as long as she could. "Is that why you came up here?"

April gave her an obvious look. "Well, I needed time to think. And they have a very nice park up here that I heard offered the perfect locale for that activity."

Luke smiled down at her. Had he actually aided in the creation of this child?

Anna shook her head. Used to what she'd aided in creating. "Let's get you home, April. We have some talking to do." She turned to walk toward Luke's truck.

"Wait," April said. "What about Luke?" She asked clinging to his side.

Anna looked at her, at Luke. She took a breath. "Luke isn't going anywhere, Honey. You'll see him again," she said quietly.

Luke's face lit up, Lorelai's face lit up behind where Anna stood. April looked doubtful.

"Be more specific, please."

Lorelai almost laughed. She stood and waited for Anna to clarify. She knew where she was going.

Anna looked up at Luke. Looked him hard in the eyes. "He's your dad, April. He's going to be in your life." She looked away. "I won't stand in the way of that."

April's face finally lit up. She smiled wide. Looked at her mom. "So, if I want to see him next weekend...?" She asked testingly.

Anna rolled her eyes, smiled. "Then, you'll see him this weekend," she finished.

"But," Anna said quickly. Everyone froze. "You won't be doing anything particularly fun with him because you are grounded," she said decisively to April. She looked up at Luke, swallowed her pride, her tyrannical ways. "Do you agree?" She asked him.

He smiled, actually had to fight back the true size of it. He looked at April, at Anna. "I agree," he said. He tossed a glance to Lorelai. She was elated. She was smiling wide back at him. Anna's lips turned up at Luke's happiness. He deserved it.

April looked from person to person. "You know, it really isn't that funny." She started walking toward the truck. "Never saw so many people so ecstatic at hearing someone get all freedoms revoked," she mumbled. "Sadistic group of people, I tell you."

This just made everyone smile wider.

Luke had helped to ground his daughter.

Oh, what a day.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Lorelai and Luke made it back to the diner just as breakfast had ended. They'd spent the ride talking about April- how much of a joy it would be getting to know her, as well as how thrilled they were about the way things had turned out.

They both stepped out of the truck. Luke walked around and met her on the sidewalk. They walked in together, finding the diner to be running smoothly in his absence. Caesar greeted him, and he returned his greeting, telling him that he was going to head upstairs for a minute. Lorelai followed him over to the stairs, getting ready to bid him goodbye behind the curtain. Once behind it, he started up. She stood there. He looked back, beckoned her to follow. She did.

He and she inside, Luke closed the door. Stood there. Smiled at her. She looked questioningly at him. Returned the smile. He moved toward her, reached for her. She went. He pulled her to him tightly. His head in the crook of her neck. Eyes closed. He squeezed her. So much feeling in that one act. She matched his hold, arms looped around his neck.

Time ticked away. Marked a moment in time.

Luke pulled back, slid his arms from around her. He looked into her eyes. Her hands slid from his neck to the sides of his face. Caressed that area. "Lorelai, I hope you don't..."

"What's wrong?" She asked tilting her head to meet his gaze.

He swallowed, looked at her. "I hope you don't think that I used you."

She moved her hands to his chest, her eyes studied the buttons as she quickly tried to think of why he would think that. Her facial expression said it all. "Of course not. I wouldn't allow myself to be used," she said in a bigger voice. "And you'd never do that," she added in a whisper.

He stared at her. So serious. She caught his eye. "This isn't a casual thing for me," he said.

"Me either," she said instantly.

Too instantly. "I'm serious, Lorelai."

She paused. Gave him a pointed look. "And, I'm not?" She asked. It was a question, imperatively verbalized.

He looked at her, barely nodded. Of course, she was.

His smile got bigger. It looked incredible on him.

"I have a daughter," he said.

"Yeah. You do," she said softly.

"I have a lot of birthdays to make up for."

She sighed. "Ten years."

"What time does the mall open?"

She gave him a confused look. "You want to go now?"

He nodded, eyes sparkling.

She couldn't help but smile. "Luke, the diner," she reminded.

"I'll close it."

"You're serious," she stated disbelievingly.

"Very," he responded. He stepped away from her. Walked toward the door. Lorelai stood back. Looked at him walk away, an uncomfortable feeling falling over her. He looked back at her once the door was open. "What are you doing? Go home so you can get changed. I'm gonna go tell Caesar then come back up and shower."

She smiled. "You want me to go?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He asked genuinely.

All 32 showed that time. "No reason," she managed to say.

She stood back, looked at him, swayed side to side happily.

He questioned her actions. "What are you---come on," he said waving her out of the door.

"Oh, yeah," she said jumping into action. She walked past him briskly. He reached out, grasped her wrist, pulled her back to him. She went. He kissed her chastely. She wasn't having that. She leaned in, gave him a real kiss, pulled back. He smiled. "Okay, hurry up," he said.

"I'm going. I'm going," she said rushing down the stairwell.

He closed the door, started down the stairs, too.

Suddenly he stopped. Looked up in thought. Frowned. Remembered something. "I hate malls," he said aloud. "Dammit."

His walk down the stairs, turned sluggish. He dragged. Shook his head. His life was changing, and with a daughter and a...Lorelai, he realized that change would include malls. He cussed under his breath. Smiled in the next instant.

Yep, his life was changing.

And, he didn't want it any other way.

**---The End---**

**AND, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY!**


End file.
